


of all the green things on this earth

by horchatita394



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Discussion of character death, Gen, seriously angst fest 2k16, spoilers for episode 1x12
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 04:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6408139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horchatita394/pseuds/horchatita394
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus has to tell Raphael the news and he wants Clary to be there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	of all the green things on this earth

**Author's Note:**

> Let me tell you this is not the fic I thought I was going to write after that episode.

Simon dances on the balls of his feet while they wait and Clary stands beside her arms crossed and jaw tense. Magnus sits, as if in his own home and relaxed in his seat in a way he can feel unnerves the girl. He understood, as much as he could, Clary’s desperation – but he had seen too many Shadowhunters driven by desperation losing their compassion along the way. He won’t let that happen, not to Clary, who in some ways was the only child in whose life Magnus has ever had a part in.

Raphael appears on his own time, sauntering in rather than needlessly speeding.

“Home so soon Simon? I thought you would spend all night dancing with the Nephilim children.”

“The wedding was called off,” Simon says, a giddy smile on his face.

Raphael turns to Magnus. “Congratulations.”

Magnus inclines his head and he sees the moment Raphael notes his demeanor, so many years did not pass for nothing.

“Raphael we need your help,” Clary starts. Magnus stands then, in one swift feeling movement, raising a hand to stop her.

“Clarissa,” he said in a tone he had not taken with her before, “hold on.”

Then he turns to Simon, “Leave us for a moment.”

When Simon looks puzzled Raphael simply turns and stares him down until Simon nods, leaving but not without first throwing what seems like a comforting glance towards Clary. Simon trusts Magnus and Raphael, trust them with the person he most adores. Simon, it turns out, is something else.

* * *

 

Clary tries not to feel impatient as Magnus takes care of whatever business it was that he thought was more important that than retrieving the Book of the White and helping her mother. She watches as Magnus eyes her carefully before moving towards Raphael. He strides forward until they stand but a foot apart from one another.

“Raphael do you remember what Ragnor told us?” He says softly, “About how everything in our long never ending lives is a learning opportunity?”

“I do,” Raphael says, his voice tense.

“Clary needs to learn something tonight, I am afraid, at our expense. I am going to tell you something and if I know you at all I know that you would hide the fact that it matters to you at all. It is your way. I sent Simon away because he is part of your clan and I respect that you need to be a strength of sorts for him. But for now pretend that dear Clary is not here and that we are alone, you and I who have known each other too many years.”

Raphael looks over at her for a second before his eyes focus on Magnus as if he were heeding his advice. Clary stands frozen, unsure of what to say or whether she should say anything at all. Magnus has told Raphael to pretend she wasn’t here – the best Clary could do was to try to stay out of their way.

“You were always so dramatic Magnus, go on. I can tell something serious has happened. You haven’t made a single vulgar joke.”

“Raphael,” he says, voice suddenly soft as if he were speaking to a child, “Ragnor is dead.”

“Are you stupid,” Raphael says with a huff, it sounds to Clary almost like the words mean something different to the two of them. “Ragnor is older than Methuselah and nothing has killed him yet.”

“Clary and Jace came with me to seek out Ragnor from his home. He once made a potion for Jocelyn Fairchild which Clary needs the antidote to if she is to wake her mother. Do you remember how much you loved your mother, Raphael?”

“Magnus tread carefully when you speak about my mother.”

“I do. I know she was everything to you, as Jocelyn is everything to Clary. I only mention her so you remember what you would have done, where you would have stopped to save her.”

“Why?”

“Because when we went to seek out Ragnor a demon followed us through the wards and now our friend, our beloved peapod, who lived so long before even I – he is dead.”

It takes a moment, a heavy long moment where the seconds stretch like hours and then Magnus, fully prepared, catches Raphael as he springs for Clary. She jumps back, holding her Seraph blade in front of her, but she can see that the moment has passed just as quickly as it had come. Now Raphael wasn’t snapping his jaws at her like a vampiric pitbull. Instead he was slumped in Magnus’ arms like a heartbroken boy. He looked so young all at once and so tired that Clary understood. She understood what Magnus wanted her to witness. Ragnor had died in the midst of their mission and Clary she had felt awful in that moment but for her that moment had passed. She thought, like a child, that it had passed all together. But now she sees two men who have lived perhaps for centuries both slumped on the floor, grieving. The moment may have passed, but death lingered and the people who came and went from her life while she searched for answers and help for her mother, they had worlds in them that she would never know about.

“What good is this never ending life,” Rafael says coldly as he gathers himself, sitting on the floor beside Magnus.

“That was always his favorite question,” Magnus says with a shadowy smile, “he was always finding different answers for it.”

“But he always had one,” Raphael agrees.

“Magnus,” Clary says, “Raphael I’m sorry. I – I should have stopped to think. I’m sorry that – Magnus is right, saving my mother means everything to me. But I can’t forget about everyone who is helping me, and the people that they love.”

“Hundreds of years and a bunch of brats-“

“Come now, he loved teaching the Nephilm brats,” Magnus says as he pats Raphael’s leg. Clary is surprised to see the gesture so familiar and comfortable doesn’t make Raphael raise his hackles or flinch.

“And now you come to ask me for help,” Raphael says, his voice cold and taunting again, “I won’t play your games and get myself killed as well.”

“Raphael,” Clary starts.

“Go now,” Raphael snaps. “Someone far older and better than you is dead and I will take a day to mourn him before I speak any business with Shadowhunters.”

With that he turned and stormed out of the room in a flurry of more emotions than Clary had ever seen from the vampire.

“I’m sorry Clary,” Magnus says quietly, “but you had to know. Even the noblest of quests have consequences. We cannot let it pass without giving pause.”

Clary moves forward and wraps her arms around Magnus, Magnus who had somehow always been there even when she had not known it. Magnus who lost a friend and gained love and tried to help her all in the work of a day.

“If you have a – a funeral and you wouldn’t mind. I’d like to go. I didn’t know him but, it’s obvious he meant a lot to you both.”

“He meant a lot to more than just us,” Magnus whispers, “I’d love to tell you about him, biscuit.”

“Tell me,” she says, her eyes watery and her smile shaky, “tell me about Ragnor Fell.”

**Author's Note:**

> Oooh my first time writing for the show!fandom :D comments are like cookies!


End file.
